Tharoor bats for 'exclusive' Indian Foreign Service entrance

Should the government institute a new examination to recruit new-age diplomats for a rising India?

Former minister of state for external affairs and Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor feels so, and hopes to initiate a debate on the issue in the monsoon session of Parliament that begins on August 8.

Tharoor, who is also a member of the parliamentary standing committee on external affairs, has been advocating lateral entry in the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) for professionals to increase the strength of the Indian diplomatic corps, reeling under an acute shortage. He believes that the process to recruit diplomats should be separate from that for other bureaucrats.

'While we have an excellent pool of talent in the IFS, what we have today are bureaucrats and not diplomats. The current common test to choose IFS, IAS, IPS and other officials does not test the mettle of a diplomat,' Tharoor said.

The former UN Under-Secretary General says India, with 172 missions and posts worldwide, needs diplomats with a thorough grip on international affairs to better represent the nation's interests.

'In the IFS, we need extrovert personalities, people who can interact with the foreigners, and have a flair for language. The UPSC examination and the sub- By Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury in New Delhi sequent interview cannot test these abilities in an applicant wanting to be in the IFS. A rising India must be prepared to deal with multiple global challenges, from economic downturn to the threats of climate change,' Tharoor said.

'Having an interest in international affairs is imperative for any young Indian wanting to be a diplomat. Unfortunately, the UPSC method of recruitment cannot judge interest of an applicant in global issues,' he rued.

He also favours allowing Non- Resident Indians (NRI) to appear in the civil services examination. 'The NRIs, naturally, are more exposed to the foreigners, their societies and ethos. They are therefore sometimes better suited to deal with the fast changing world and its needs,' he said.